Separation & Healing
by xHuolon
Summary: Sequel to 'An Invitation'. It's been 2 weeks and Lightning finally musters up the courage to contact Tifa. What happens when the brunette agrees to meet up, and talk about the events that occurred at her house? Tifa/Lightning
1. The First Step

**Author's Notes**: This story originated from an RP I did with a friend in the RPing group dedicated to Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy/ And Twewy that we belong to. We're sharing this because, frankly, we feel like it makes a very good story; and a lot of time itself went into this as well.

This takes place in an AU (Alternate Universe), on Destiny Islands. Lightning is an ex-soldier who became a teacher after moving to the island. And Tifa has just moved there, after having decided to make a fresh start in a new town, away from Radiant Garden.

This is the start of a series of Lightning Farron/Tifa Lockhart fics. Part 2 starts here.

**Disclaimer**: We do not own any characters, places, or intellectual property of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, or Twewy.

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><p>Lightning stared down at her black cellphone, that was resting on the middle of the kitchen table. As much as she wanted to reach out and grab it, something kept pulling her back. It had been 2 weeks that very day, since the incident at Tifa's house; and the images were still just as vivid as if they had just happened. The pinkette was utterly confused as to why she was feeling this way, going so far as to go out of her way just to avoid the brunette the last 8 days. Part of her was relieved at the distance put between them, but the other part yearned desperately for the other woman's presence.<p>

She knew she couldn't run away from the situation forever though... But what was she supposed to say to her friend? Lightning figured Tifa was probably mad with her, since they hadn't talked or seen hide nor hair of each other since that day. What if she hated her now? The pinkette felt a sharp tinge of pain in her chest at the thought of that. There was only one way to find out if there was any salvaging their relationship, and to maybe get some answers on what happened that night; since she had left abruptly due to feeling entirely awkward.

Her gaze fell back upon her phone, and with a sigh she reached over and picked it up. She flipped it open and sorted through her contacts until Tifa's name was shown on the screen. Lightning took a deep breathe, and began typing a text message.

**Subject**: Hey..

**To**: Tifa

_I know you may or may not want to talk to me right now... But I really want to meet up and talk at the coffee shop near school... If you're up for it of course, though I honestly feel like you may just end up ignoring this text; which would serve me right for not talking to you sooner..._

_Uhm... I guess I'll wait awhile for a response, and if I don't get one... I'd understand why._

-_Light_

Lightning hesitated a moment, before finally pressing the send button. She was becoming a nervous mess, as she set the phone down on the table in front of her. All she could do now was wait, but she really hoped Tifa would at least reply to her no matter her choice.

* * *

><p>It was her first real day off since she started working at Kingdom Hearts High, and Tifa spent the first half of the day in the bathtub. Aerith had told her if she rinsed off the plants with the shower nozzle lightly that the dust and unnecessary things would just flush away. The brunette was basically washing her plants, attempting to let them live for one more day, maybe even a week if she can try. The water played on the plants, and the leaves became a deeper green as they absorbed the nutrients. They certainly looked happier, but she knew deep down inside they were going to die soon. There was just something about her house, it didn't matter what she did, they always died. By the time she finished scrubbing each leaf and then washing out and cleaning the tub, SHE needed to be scrubbed too. The bathroom was filled with the potted plants, it looked like her own version of a garden as she slipped into the bathtub and laid her head down to try and rest.<p>

The past two weeks had been crazy, what with all the new classes she ended up getting, they just had to split one of her classes in two, not to mention she had to help sub for someone on short notice. All the paperwork, housework, and walking about the beach was starting to tire the brunette out. She lifted a foot up and took notice of all the callouses on them. She promised in the deal with the owner of the apartment that she would help with the finishing touches on the new porch they installed on the apartment. The heavy lifting and manual labor was nothing she couldn't handle, but Tifa had to admit everything was piling up, she was so glad to have this day off. The place was clean, the old dead plants are thrown out, and all the quizzes were graded. Soft music was playing from the living room, and the young woman was about to fall asleep under the bubbles when she heard her phone vibrate twice. It was close to the edge of the sink, and within reach for her, so she grabbed it right before it fell.

She got out of the tub, dried off, and slipped into a fresh t-shirt and shorts. She moved from the bathroom to the living room, sprawled out on the couch, and finally looked at the message she received. In all honesty, she was expecting a message from Aerith to remind her to "_Talk to the plants once in awhile! That's how they grow!_" but instead what she faced was a nervous Lightning, whom she hadn't seen since the incident two weeks ago. _And here I thought I scared the poor girl off for good. _The brunette thought to herself.

The text portrayed all that Lightning was: very direct, very nervous, very scared. Yet still, the pink-haired girl mustered up enough courage to want to discuss the matter at hand in person. It was clear Lightning was feeling guilty about what happened, and also probably how she left completely flustered. Tifa replied in the best way she could.

**RE**: Hey..

**To**: Lightning

_How does tomorrow after school let out sound to you? I know which cafe you're talking about, most of the teachers go there. If I'm not there on time, just go ahead and order something. Knowing my students, I might have to answer a few questions about anaerobic respiration haha. I'll see you tomorrow!_

-_Tifa_

She had already brushed her teeth and washed her face when the brunette stared at the plants in the bathroom, happy as anything in the world.

"Why the bathroom of all places? I keep you on the windowsill, and you die. I put you in the shade, and you die. Did you really just want my tile floors all along?" She sat down and started picking out brown leaves in the soil, throwing them in the trash nearby.

"Hey. I'm not a bad person for having a crush on someone I just met right?" She smiled sadly, taking the last dead leaf off the plant near the sink. It was a beautiful yellow rose, one Aerith gave to her special, and the one plant that has stayed alive for longer than a week.

"Even if it's the sister of the man who broke my heart?" She whispered to the yellow rose and laughed quietly at herself. "It's always better to be true to your own feelings. So I'm going to have a crush. And I'm going to be happy. Because if I stop trying, what will I have left?" Tifa got up, turned off the light, as she walked out of the bathroom.

It was bed time. And tomorrow was going to be another busy, and fun day.

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><p>Lightning stared at her phone, that was still resting on the table in front of her face. She hadn't moved at all since sending that text, and the longer she waited the more her cell seemed to be taunting her. She honestly felt like she was waiting for something that wasn't going to happen. If Tifa had wanted to talk to her, wouldn't she have tried by now...? The pinkette ran her hand over her face in an exasperated manner, before lifting her head off the table. "I guess I fucked up royally..." Light muttered to herself, hating how it seemed she ruined the one chance that could have been happy with someone for once.<p>

A loud purring distracted her from her thoughts, and she looked down to see Namine's white kitten Kai, nuzzling into her leg. Lightning cracked a half-hearted smile at the cat, before carefully scooping him up in her hands. "Oh Kai... You always know when to come and pester me, don't you?" She asked him, though knowing he couldn't talk back to her, but it was nice to have him around to listen to her anyway. Kai rubbed against her hands, before turning his attention to the black cell phone on the table. Yje pinkette chuckled as she watched him pounce on it playfully, and paw at it around the center of the table.

"...I'm such a fool Kai..." She said quietly, talking to herself more than the little kitten who made his way back over to her. Kai stared up at her with big sad eyes, as if he knew she was upset. Light smiled a bit more, and started scratching his ears affectionately. "It's true though... I found myself in love with Konishi for the longest time, but it's been obvious she doesn't even remotely think of me in that way. As I see it, I really feel that Sho and Nishi might get together after all... Maybe that's why I've been upset for awhile. I never knew what to do until now, because there isn't anything I can do... And yet..."

Lightning stole a glance at her phone one last time. "...I started crushing on someone else. But I was stupid and now it seems I ruined any chance I might have had..." She sighed and looked down at the cat sadly, who in turn pawed at her chin and mewed cutely, before letting out a small yawn. "You're right... It is bed time isn't it?" She said while picking Kai up and placing him back on the floor, watching him toddle off to his kitty bed. The pinkette pushed herself out of the kitchen chair, and as she was about to start walking to her room for the night; her phone suddenly vibrated loudly and nearly scared her half to death.

The pinkette stared intently at the phone, before she finally got the nerve to pick it and and look at the new text in her inbox. To her utter shock, Tifa had actually replied to her, and a wave of relief flowed through her body. Maybe she still had time to fix things... Lightning gripped her phone tightly before heading off to bed, telling herself everything would _hopefully_ get better.


	2. Clearing The Air

Lightning shifted around nervously in the chair she was sitting in. She had gotten to the coffee house 10 minutes ago, and was now waiting for Tifa to arrive. Her fingers tapped restlessly on the cool surface of the table, as she sat there drowning in her emotions. She had no way of knowing how this was going to play out, and it was a bit scary. Her gaze dropped to the table, and her attention got lost in her own reflection; biding her time until the other woman showed up.

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><p>There were at <em>least<em> five kids chatting with Tifa at the end of class, about acid precipitation along with many other terms on their study guide. As much as the brunette loved to help the students out, she had to tell the third one to please try looking them up online; and the fourth and fifth to please stop sleeping in her class, or else she will make them run laps around the school. She then politely excused herself, she was already ten minutes late, and god only knew what that must be doing to Lightning. She knew that if she waited any longer the pink-haired woman would believe she had been stood up. The second she had placed everything in her briefcase, the brunette ran outside the door, taking off her work shoes in replace with more comfortable sneakers. At least until she saw the cafe in sight. Her running slowed down a bit, and she stopped just before the door to replace the shoes once again. Black stocking and purple tennis shoes did not go too well together.

As she entered the cafe, Tifa immediately saw Lightning, and waved enthusiastically, hoping to show that everything was alright from the get go. She knew from the previous night's text, that Lightning was clearly worried that their relationship had been compromised. The brunette was sure that when Light got a chance to talk about things, she would start to calm down.

"What beautiful weather we're having! Almost perfect for a good jog." Tifa laughed, as she sat down in the seat across from her pink-haired counterpart

Lightning glanced out the window near their table and nodded, before looking back in Tifa's direction. "Yeah... I guess it is rather nice outside today, was a great day for riding Sliepnir around that's for sure." She said, while relaxing in her chair a little. The brunette didn't seem to be upset at her, and that put her at ease if only a little.

The pinkette looked up in time to see a waiter place 2 cups of green tea on the table, and then move back to the main counter, leaving them to talk amongst themselves. "Uhm... If you don't want the cup of tea, I'll drink it..." Lightning said in a soft voice, while she reached over and took a hold one of the warm cups.

Tifa looked at the tea and took it into her hands, sipping it slowly. "Tea is my favorite you know.." She commented, turning the cup around to admire the nice design. "It soothes one's mind and calms the soul. When it is warm, it gives time for you and the person you're with to drink. Almost as though it's a little gift. Like you're showing the person '_I want to spend more time with you. Let's drink some warm tea ok?_'" She put the cup down, and almost exactly like two weeks ago, Tifa looked straight into Lightning's eyes.

The pinkette brought the glass up to her lips, taking a few sips and then put it back on the table. She cleared her throat nervously and looked Tifa shyly in the eyes. "...Look, about what happened 2 weeks ago... I'm sorry for storming off like that, it was rude of me I know... But I was honestly just confused, among other things... Everything happened so fast and I guess I just... Freaked out a little..." She confessed, not proud of how she had acted that night, after they had been interrupted. Lightning couldn't help but wonder, what might have happened if Tifa's daughter hadn't called though; as she peered down into her cup, and stared at the liquid while waiting for the other woman to speak up.

"Listen, Light. I've gone through quite a bit with people. The best way, and the only way I know how to really, deal with people in my opinion is to be straight with them." Tifa chuckled a bit.

"I knew you needed time the second you left my apartment two weeks ago. I was perfectly content to give you all the time in the world. But even with two weeks ago passing, my own feelings haven't changed." She slowly smiled at Lightning. "I've been completely comfortable with the whole situation since it happened. But I can understand if you don't-" Tifa made a gesture with her hands laughing "-'_swing_' that way? Haha, I don't know how else to say it!"

Lightning averted her gaze, when Tifa had finished saying what was on her mind. "Well... Thanks for understanding at least, Tifa. That means a lot that you were willing to give me space, and not push anything on me..." She said, while fidgeting with the cup in her hand, before taking another small sip. Tifa had mentioned how her feelings hadn't changed... So it really hadn't been some sort of accident then, and Light was slightly thankful in that regard, or she wouldn't know what to do with herself or the feelings she harbored.

The brunette woman knew that Lightning was sweating, simply by the thought of sitting near the woman who practically jumped her bones two weeks ago. But to actually talk about it, was an entirely different story. Tifa had no clue what Lightning would do, but before talking she already looked like she was going run right out of the cafe any second. But what she will do now is up to her. Tifa had already said what she wanted to say, and took the tea back into her hands, sipping away until she got a response from Lightning.

"It's... Not that I wasn't comfortable being like that with you... I guess at the time I still didn't know what I wanted." The pinkette said, while rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "You see, there's another teacher at the school who I've had strong feelings for, ever since I got to know her... But I never knew how she really felt in return, y'know? 2 weeks ago when all that happened... I felt like I was, I don't know, betraying myself I guess? But I've thought long and hard about everything and... I realize that Konishi more than likely feels nothing for me, as much as it hurts to admit that to myself. I had assumed I could win her over eventually, even while going against Sho... But now I know that they're probably going to end up together anyway, and there isn't much I can do about it." Lightning looked up from her glass, and studied Tifa's expression, trying to gauge how she was handling what she was telling her.

The brunette took everything Lightning said in for consideration, and began thinking of words to say before finally speaking up again. "Ah yes. The whole _unrequited love_ thing." Tifa contemplated again, leaning back in her chair.

The pinkette dropped her gaze again, opting to stare at the table this time as she continued what she had been saying. "It's kind of funny though... Each night that I contemplated everything... I always came to the conclusion that in the end, none of that really mattered now... Because..." Lightning's voice trembled a little as it trailed off. She wasn't sure exactly what she should tell Tifa at this point, but the brunette had been honest with her; so she needed to do the same and let her know how she felt in return.

"...Well... I guess it's because I really like you, Tifa... And... Oh, who am I kidding? I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and what happened that night..." Lightning said in a quiet voice, embarrassed at how nervous she still was around the woman.

Tifa giggled, as she heard every last word the pink haired woman had said, tuning in especially for the last part. A slight blush creeping upon her cheeks, due to the flattering notion that Lightning had been thinking of it as well, perhaps as fondly as the brunette had been.

"I'm certainly glad you liked it." Tifa quietly replied, still speaking in a soothing tone as Lightning still appeared nervous, though in a different way now that Tifa knew what her feelings entailed. "Though I was a bit worried I came on too strong. You looked like a scared kitten, when leaving my place that night." The brunette twirled a piece of her hair while taking a moment to sip her tea. "As though I were going to jump your bones again, or something. I was actually pretty sober too. You just didn't know I was a touchy feely person huh?"

"No, no… You didn't come on too strong, Tifa. But I was the one who kissed you first, if that even really means anything.." Lightning said, trying to force the redness away that was spreading over her cheeks. "A scared kitten though..? I wouldn't go far enough to say that, but I guess I was a bit scared, I admit." The pinkette shifted around in her chair, trying to relax more, now that things seemed to be getting worked out.

"I don't know though… I think I was worried what would happen if I stayed any longer… I rarely let anyone get that close to me, y'know? And me for to let you snuggle against me, without batting an eye at it… Well it was definitely unusual to say the least, not that I regret it mind you. I was still pretty sober myself, but it never occurred to me that you'd ever… Well…" She quickly motioned at herself for emphasis. "Feel that way towards me. Especially after finding out you had feelings for my brother.." Lightning explained, looking at Tifa shyly over the rim of her cup, that was pressed against her lips now.

"And this is where roadblocks happen. I think such emotions can't simply be kissed away," Tifa raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Though I can certainly try."

Lightning placed her half empty cup back on the table a second later, and thought about what Tifa had said. It was true, to be sure. She doubted the brunette's feelings for her brother would go away any time soon, and Light knew getting over Nishi would take a little while… But.. Lightning looked at Tifa, just simply staring at her for what it was worth. Maybe they could help each other ease out of it?

Without hesitating Lightning leaned over towards the other woman, more confidant than she had been the first time; and pressed a gentle kiss onto Tifa's lips, before pulling away and leaning back in her chair. "…Well, how was that for a first try?" She asked, not sure how Tifa would react to randomly being kissed out of nowhere.

Tifa stared at Lightning, surprise clear on the brunette's face. She was not expecting a kiss so soon, and could not contain the smile forming on her face.

"Yes." She eagerly nodded her head. "A very good first try!"

"I'm glad you think so... Otherwise I would have had to try again, until I got it right." Lightning said in a teasing manner, feeling much better now that most of her nervousness had melted away, at the sight of Tifa's content smile.

The pinkette was ecstatic that their friendship had remained intact, and even more so that they had taken a step towards something even better; or that's what she was hoping for anyway. There were still a few things that she would have to eventually bring up, before they could go any further; but for the time being she was going to enjoy Tifa's company to the fullest.

The feelings they had were mutual, and Tifa couldn't help but feel relief at the thought that she wouldn't have to be so careful around Lightning anymore. She was not a fragile flower, after all, but a strong independent woman, just as she herself was. They exchanged happy looks, and after a time of considering it, Tifa slowly moved her hand to press upon the pink-haired woman's, not even squeezing. She simply held it, though she wished to intertwine their fingers together, making it a firmer grasp.

It certainly wouldn't be easy as Cloud was a major part of Lightning's life. However, the thought of seeing him hurt a little less, when she knew there was something else to look forward to.

"It certainly is funny though. Teaching and your brother were the two things that brought us together in the first please. Go figure it's him and a teacher causing us to hesitate." Tifa speculated out loud.

The pinkette's aqua orbs watched the other woman, as she placed her hand on her own; and then spoke up about how ironic everything really was. Tifa did have a point, she had to agree. It was funny how things worked out like this, but in the long run she wasn't going to complain; as long as the brunette decided to stay by her side, which she hoped with all her heart the woman would.

Lightning brought Tifa's hand up to her face, before placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. She then smiled happily at the brunette, as she laced their fingers together in a firm hold. "That's true... Though I can't say I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did."

The pinkette happened to glance down at her watch, and realized that she should have been home 15 minutes ago to feed the animals. Even with 3 other people normally around her house, it was still somehow her job to always feed Kami and Kai. Lightning shook her head and stared at Tifa. "Uhm... I actually should get going. I should have been home almost 20 minutes ago.." She really didn't want to part with the brunette so soon, but really didn't see an alternative, unless...

Light cleared her throat, and gave Tifa a curious look. "This maybe be weird to ask on short notice but... If you're not doing anything after this, would you perhaps like to come over? Don't feel obliged to... I just think it'd be nice spending more time with you is all."

Tifa had already begun taking off her dress shoes for the tennis ones when she heard Lightning speak up.

"That… would really save me a lot of time actually. Spending more time with you definitely is more of a priority than running." She noticed the confused look on Lightning's face and then clarified. "I thought it would be nice to take the bus this morning. I missed the last bus half an hour ago." She started chuckling to herself, rubbing her neck, before putting her tennis shoes away and putting her dress shoes back on.

"In other words, I would love any chance to spend more time with you." Tifa giggled as she and Lightning had a tiny bickering concerning who would pay for the bill. After about thirty seconds of indiscriminate mutterings, Tifa let it go and just allowed Lightning to pay. "_FOR NOW_." The brunette emphasized as Lightning gave her a mischievous grin whilst paying the waiter.

_Look at this, we're already teasing each other_. Tifa thought as they both walked out of the cafe, side by side outside, watching as the sun slowly began to descend. It really was late, and her poor plants were going to kill her, as this was time out of their bathroom washing schedule. However, As she pulled the bottom of her shirt down, and walked with Lightning to where the pink-haired woman had parked, she decided triumphantly to try and not be the crazy dying plant woman. At least, for maybe one night.


	3. Setting Up The Surprise

Lightning turned her head and looked at Tifa, with a huge grin on her face. "How comfortable are you with riding on the back of a motorcycle? She asked, while motioning towards the bike they were standing near. "I just want to make sure, before I ask you to ride Sliepnir with me… And I'm a responsible driver I swear! Just in case you were wondering…" She rubbed the back of her neck, and stared down at the black reflective shine of her motorcycle.

The pinkette then unzipped the side-bags on her bike, and pulled out two helmets. She offered one to the brunette, and then quickly pulled hers on. "I'm pretty sure that helmet will fit comfortably.." Lightning said as she tossed her leg over Sliepnir and got settled in, before shoving the keys into the ignition and revving up the engine.

Tifa was more than acquainted with motorcycles, since she had of course gotten used to being around Cloud and his bike. _Must run in the family_. She thought to herself, as she placed the helmet on her head.

Lightning glanced over at Tifa, who was still standing next to the motorcycle. "Just sit behind me okay? And I don't mind how tight you hold onto me either." The pinkette said in a teasing manner, even though she meant it. The thought of Tifa pressed against her back, sent a wave of warm fuzzy feelings throughout her body.

Light gripped the handlebars tightly, and motioned with her head for the brunette to get on so they could leave.

Tifa swung a leg around as she re-positioned herself closer and closer to Lightning. She inched slower every single time, and could hear Lightning complaining for her to hurry up. The brunette laughed out loud, suddenly hugging the pink-haired woman tightly, her chest pressing roughly against Lightning's back, as well as her hair brushing against the soldier's neck. Tifa giggled as Lightning yelped, though it only made her squeeze her arms around the woman even tighter.

Tifa put her mouth very close to Lightning's ear, before saying "Well? I thought you said you were late." She smiled and blew gently into the pink haired woman's ear.

Lightning replied to this by starting the engine and going off abruptly, Tifa giggling the entire as the wind swayed her hair and made her look down, though it was a bit difficult with the vizier part of the helmet down, which she put down just before Lightning took off.

The pinkette couldn't help but smile underneath her helmet, as they sped down the main street on Sliepnir. It was an odd feeling for her, to be this content with life for once. But just being around Tifa made her extremely happy, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual with the brunette.

_So close together, already so much has happened. This really is so much fun, my new philosophy on life. To try and be happy, it really is so much fun!_ The thoughts ran through Tifa's mind, as she tightened her grip around the soldier's waist.

* * *

><p>It took about 15 minutes after dealing with afternoon traffic, to get back to her house. She pulled up in her driveway and parked her motorcycle, before looking up at her house. "Hmm… I guess no one's home right now. Oh well, I don't mind it that much." Lightning said as she propped her bike up and took off her helmet. She placed a hand on the arms wrapped around her, and smiled widely. The pinkette carefully pulled Tifa's arms off of her and got off the bike, but still holding onto the brunette's left hand as she did.<p>

"Well this is my home… I know is doesn't seem like much on the outside, but just wait till you get inside!." She said with a slight giggle, and she helped Tifa off of her motorcycle but not letting go of her hand when she was off. Lightning flashed the woman a content smile, before walking side by side with her to the front door. The pinkette pulled her keys out with her free hand, and quickly unlocked the door for them; and then pushed it open, motioning for Tifa to go ahead before her.

"Um… Are you sure it's ok to just have a total stranger in the house?" Tifa asked as she put her hand on the doorknob, turning around to face Lightning. Not for a second did she let go of the pink-haired woman's hand though, and she squeezed it as she leaned her back onto the front door, staring at Lightning with concern.

"Telling your kids, even if they are teenagers, that a total stranger that is from their school was in the house they live in. I just don't want to make things uncomfortable for you." Lightning just kept shaking her head, smiling. This was the most perfect opportunity for the pink-haired woman to corner Tifa, lean in for a good kiss, and the brunette would certainly not object. However, her mind was wandering onto other nerve-racking matters. She finally sighed as all her excuses ran out, and finally told the truth. The truth was what she should have said in the first place.

"Ok… Don't call me crazy. But I just expect Cloud to be inside, waiting to catch us in the act. It's not that I think what we're doing, just being together, is wrong. But I feel nervous thinking as though Cloud will consider anything less of you, for getting so close to me all of a sudden." Tifa blushed, averting her gaze somewhat so as not to show how nervous she truly was about the whole situation.

When it came to her experience with Cloud, which wasn't an experience it all, she was left simply feeling self conscious about everything. Tifa simply felt in his eyes, he didn't value her in a romantic sense at all. She didn't want to mention it, but the two weeks they had spent apart, she had been worrying that Lightning and Cloud talked about her, and Cloud had discouraged Lightning from talking to her altogether. Not because he didn't care at all about the brunette, but because he wanted to protect his sister, and for some reason it hurt to think that anyone would think she was something to be made nervous about. Least of all Lightning.

The pinkette stopped to think about what Namine and Serah would think about the situation. She knew Namine only wanted her to be happy, and would support her no matter what. As for Serah... That would be a bit trickier, though she was inclined to say she would support her older sister as well. Lightning sighed, shaking her head at Tifa, while keeping up the smile on her face.

"Relax Tifa... There's no way Cloudy is here. Fenrir isn't even parked outside, so that's a clear sign that he went off somewhere, but to do what I have no idea." Lightning turned slightly and pointed outside where her older brother always parked his motorcycle. The pinkette then gently pulled Tifa all the way inside and closed the door behind them. "Besides to be completely honest with you Tifa, I really couldn't care less what he might think of my relationship with you. I know that may be a horrible thing to say but... If he was ever against me being happy with someone, I would ignore everything he'd say on the matter."

Lightning rubbed the back of her head, feeling that she might have made things awkward. She squeezed Tifa's hand in a reassuring way, before letting it go and dropping her keys on the 2 way counter that divided the front hall from the kitchen. As she was about to turn back to Tifa, something white caught the corner of her eye; and she went back to the counter, only to find a piece of paper waiting for her.

She read the note that had been left by Namine, Serah, and Cloud; and when she was done, looked over her shoulder at the brunette and smiled. "Well... It seems both girls are spending the night at a friend's house for a birthday party. And Cloud seems to be out drinking with Squall, and said he wouldn't be back home tonight." Lightning then moved over to Tifa and handed her the paper, so she could see for herself; and then watched as the woman took a few steps away, as she read the note over.

"I hope this information will make you feel better about being here... I don't want you to feel out of place in my home Tifa..." Lightning said, feeling bad that she had put her in this position without really thinking it through. The brunette stared at the paper long and hard, eventually placing it back on the counter. She smiled, feeling more assured by the pinkette's soothing words, rather than the paper on the counter. However, it certainly was convenient that the house was empty.

Tifa took a step away, letting her eyes adventure upon Lightning's abode. The place was beautiful, and she was certainly correct; the exterior doesn't even show how huge the place is on the inside. How many people did she have living here? _I bet the whole household must be busy every night. And this night Lightning would be alone?_ The brunette thought to herself, as her gaze fell back onto the other woman.

"Perhaps…" Tifa paused, as she stared into Lightning's eyes. Her being too forward was not a problem, and the brunette had to reassure herself of that. "I could stay over tonight?"

Lightning blinked at Tifa's question. She wanted to stay the night there, with her, all alone in her house? The pinkette mulled the thought over in her head a bit longer. It was true she was gonna end up being alone, despite having the pets around... But having Tifa's company on a night like this sounded simply wonderful, and she was happy the brunette had brought it up.

"Well... I mean if you really want to, I see no reason why you can't. There are more than enough places that you could sleep as well." Lightning glanced around the living room, and then looked back at Tifa. "Was there a certain place you wanted to sleep? There's a guest room, or you could crash on the sofa if you really wanted... Basically you can sleep anywhere you want, I won't object." She said, giving her a nod in confirmation of what she had said.

As she waited for a reply from Tifa, she couldn't help look around the room once again. Lightning was curious where Kaminari and Kai had gotten off to, since she still needed to feed them.

Tifa stared at her, an eyebrow raised. The second she heard the question directed at her, she wanted to laugh. But for the pretense, she allowed Lightning to finish. The pinkette was looking around, probably wondering what she thought of the place, or perhaps where the numerous animals were. After a short pause, Tifa took hold of the young woman's waist, and hugged it tenderly.

"Give me one more second to think." Tifa said, pouting with this stern expression on her face, it looked rather ridiculous. When the second passed, she looked right at Lightning and said "How about, your room?" The two exchanged looks, and Tifa grinned mischievously.

"We are taking it slow, and I like that. I may know my way around a relationship, but I do like to take my time on things as well. But, as I said only a little while ago. I am a real touchy feely kind of person." She squeezed Lightning's waist a bit tighter. "I have a body pillow in substitution, but if I can help it, I like to snuggle with an actual body instead." She looked around, then went back to staring at Lightning.

Lightning rested her forehead against Tifa's, and faked a defeated sigh. "My room, eh? I guess I can let it slide for tonight, even though you're asking me to share a huge bed with you." In truth her bed was massive, mostly due to the fact that Kami made it a point to sleep next to her on random occasions. It would be nice, however to share a bed with someone who isn't a giant furball.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the body pillow statement though. "Snuggles? Oh Tifa... I can assure you that you'll get as much snuggles and cuddles as you want tonig-" Lightning was interrupted mid sentence, when the brunette started squealing in delight.

"Oh, look! I found one!" The brunette exclaimed, while staring intently at the white kitten with folded ears that had walked over to them.

Light then looked in the direction the brunette was staring, and noticed the white little kitten toddling over towards them. She let go of Tifa and knelt down, scooping up Kai in her hands and holding him up at face level with her. "Well here's my favorite kitten. I bet you know where big old Kami is, don't you Kai?" And as if speaking about him was enough, a loud snort could be heard in the far hallway; and she turned to see that sofa size body of Kami's leaning against one of the walls. Lightning noticed how the brunette seemed to be staring at her dog, whether it was his size or the fact he had huge curly horns and a long scaly tail, she couldn't say.

Tifa looked, both confused and bewildered, by whatever Lightning called a _dog_. The horns were a mystery, and the tail a spiky rough entity of its own. Kami walked up slowly, circling Lightning as she affectionately petted the animal. Tifa stared in amazement, it's eyes so beautiful, it's size so ridiculous. She continued to stare, realizing she was imagining climbing on its back and wanting a tour of the house by him. This creature was a wonder in it's own right, and her imagination going crazy in her mind made Tifa lose face, breaking her hold to bend down and stare at eye level with Kami.

"Can I… Can I pet him too?" Tifa asked in almost a whisper, her eyes widening as he came closer. She noticed how soft his white fur looked up close, and she slowly put her hand out for him to sniff. Where did she even get him? Clearly he was from another world, but which? And how did he and Lightning meet?

"… He's not really a dog is he?" Tifa heard herself say out loud. It was so obvious it was kind of silly to even mention, but she couldn't help but say it.

Lightning laughed at the brunette's obvious statement. "I guess you could say that. I'm not really sure why I call him a dog half the time, since he's clearly anything but that." She said, while letting the kitten climb onto her shoulder, and take his favorite spot curled up against her neck.

"I bet you're wondering how I even got him to begin with, eh?" The pinkette asked, and then grinned when Tifa nodded at her curiously. "Well... About 2 years ago, I was traveling around my home world while on duty, and I happened upon a ranch of sorts; that was being attacked by some monster-ish bears. Being the soldier I was, I ran in there and killed them all; saving the woman who lived there in the process. After that she begged me to stay for awhile, which I did... And we got to know each other really well. It turns out though that she raised tame monster dogs called silver lobos. Right before I had to leave to get back to my post, she handed me one of the pups from a recent litter, and asked me to take him as a sort of '_thank you_'.." Lightning paused for a moment to catch her breath, and give a thoughtful look to Kami.

"But when I realized what she was giving me, I was taken back because he looked nothing like his parents." She poked at his black obsidian horns for emphasis. "Apparently some rare monster mated with the female silver lobo and yeah... Result in him and 2-3 other pups, though the rest for some reason didn't make it... The woman figured it was something on the ranch that cause their deaths, and wanted to give Kami a chance to live so she offered him to me. I couldn't really say no to her, especially when it would have been rude. So that's basically how I came to have this big guy." Lightning said, finishing up her little story, and scratching one of Kami's ears affectionately.

Lightning rubbed her arm and stared down at Tifa. "I'm glad you aren't bothered by his appearance though... Most tend to freak out when they see him."

The giant creature rubbed his cheek upon her hand, and Tifa smiled. "I'm not actually sure why I'm not freaking out. He just seems really friendly." She chuckled, and then began to pet Kami back, scratching the side of his ear that wasn't coarse.

_New lease on life right?_ Tifa shrugged and used both her hands to scratch his ears. The '_dog_' happily panted, almost as though he were smiling at her. "Good boy!" The brunette stood up and turned to face Lightning. "Would you, Kami, and … Kai was it? Would you like to show me around the house?" Tifa reached over to pet the kitten, who purred loudly at the touch. _What a pretty kitten too_. The brunette thought, while staring at Lightning and waiting for an answer.

"Oh of course! I had totally forgotten about showing you around... Forgive me for being a crappy _host_." Lightning said, winking at Tifa playfully before wondering where she should start the tour. She turned and pointed at the hallway on the left side of the front door, that lead into a darker part of her house. "The basement is down that way, plus the empty room I haven't used yet. So nothing interesting is that way, at least for now."

Tifa laughed at the host comment, blushing a bit as Lightning quickly went over a few of the rooms that where close by, rushing through it as though not a bit of it was important.

"As for the other hallway.." She pointed in the opposite direction in which Kami had come from. "Cloud's bedroom is down this hall and to the right, and mine is behind the door at the end of the hall. And this is obviously the living room of course, and the kitchen you've already seen part of when we came in... Soooo that just leaves upstairs!" Lightning gently took Tifa's hand in her, and lead her up the stairs next to the kitchen. The brunette noticed many pictures of what must be the people living in the house, hanging on the walls. She truly could not put names to faces, other than with Cloud and Lightning, but all the framed pictures showed a happy family enjoying time with each other. She smiled, but Lightning was already moving on, tugging at Tifa in a way that meant '_hurry up_'. "Serah and Namine's rooms are up here as well, and so is the way leading up into the attic, but I've never needed to use it as of yet."

It was obvious that Lightning had an agenda, as she never actually let Tifa go into the rooms she was describing. Granted, the brunette didn't feel comfortable going into the room's of the kids or Cloud's, and she knew Lightning was respecting their privacy, as anyone really would when someone is in the house and the people are away. However, Tifa only got to really look at the kitchen for a minute or so, yet still Lightning took her away and paid no attention to the other places the brunette might have liked to explore. Still, she was bewildered by the size of the whole place. An attic not even used? She really would have liked to explore up there, but Lightning was just continuously tugging her along.

Lightning then pointed down the hallway they were walking in, and looked over at the brunette. "And behind this door is that balcony I told you about..." She said happily, as she held the door open for Tifa to step outside onto the deck.

"Ok, just where are you taking me- oh." The brunette began, but then stopped as the pink-haired woman presented her with the magnificence of her own balcony. "Oh." She said again, stepping forward onto the deck, the most beautiful view of the sunset she had seen ever welcoming her out just as the warm breeze pushed her hair to the side.

The sounds of the calm afternoon could be heard all around her: the quiet chatterings of neighbors, the ocean washing up to the shore a distance away, and the sound of the palm tree leaves fluttering about with the wind. It surrounded her with a picture of a beautiful sky mixing together reds and oranges and yellows. She turned to look at Lightning, a look of awe within her eyes. Tifa's balcony was the reason she took the apartment, and Lightning had remembered this, even after two weeks of no communication.

Tifa slipped her hand back into the other woman's, feeling how much colder her palm was in comparison to the outside temperature. "It's beautiful."


	4. Unexpected Reactions

**Author's note**: The song used is - '_The Letter_' by Monkey Majik

* * *

><p>Lightning rubbed the back of her head with her free hand, and smiled sheepishly at Tifa. "Well... I remember you telling me the only reason you took that apartment, was so you could have the view from the balcony... So I figured you might want to see mine, though I guess you must have forgotten me mentioning having one." She gave the brunette a look that told her it was fine though, and not to worry about it at all.<p>

The pinkette then squeezed Tifa's hand gently, and took in the sight for awhile before returning her attention to the other woman. "Yeah, it really is especially around this time of the day." She nodded in agreement with the brunette's statement. "Though to be perfectly honest with you, right now this view is only the second most beautiful thing I see." Lightning admitted out loud, hoping Tifa would get the hint of what she was referring to. The fighter of course blushed a deep crimson red, when she realized the soldier was actually talking about her. She was about to say something back, when Lightning interrupted her out of nowhere.

"And that reminds me!" She suddenly said, after remembering something else Tifa had said the last time they had spent time together. "I actually have something to show you... But I want you to stay here while I go get it, is that okay with you?" Lightning asked eagerly, excited but also very nervous about what she had to show the woman.

In truth, she didn't technically have something to show Tifa, but there was something she had planned on doing if she ever got the chance. And right now seemed like the best opportunity to pull it off. Though there was no way of knowing how the brunette would react to it, so she could only hope it wouldn't be all for nothing.

"Alright." Tifa nodded, allowing Lightning to slip her hand out her own, if only momentarily.

The second Tifa had agreed and let her go, Lightning had bolted back inside and downstairs to her room. She pulled open her closet and pushed all the hangers of clothes to separate sides, and carefully grabbed out her acoustic guitar that had been leaning on the wall. The pinkette sat on her bed for a moment, and quickly made sure each string produced a perfect note. If she was going to really do this, it might as well be as damned good as she could possibly make it.

She moved out of her bedroom and back into the living room, and stared at the back-doors leading into the yard. The second she steps outside, there would be no turning back no matter what happened. Lightning walked over to the door and rested her hand on the handle. What if what she was about to do... What if Tifa ended up hating it? Or what if she horribly messed up, due to being nervous? _No! Knock it off. You can do this, you know you can!_ Lightning mentally kicked herself before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

Tifa leaned back against the the wall, placing her hands behind her back, waiting patiently as time passed her by. The sun was beginning to set upon the horizon, and Tifa realized today she really didn't get a chance to go walking on the beach. This didn't upset her, she did this simply to pass the time and feel the water and sand feeling mix upon her toes, but it was certainly a big part of her day during this time. She could hear the seagulls landing in the sand now, why just yesterday she had found the prettiest shell…

"Are you coming back any time soon? Or should I make myself comfortable out here?" Tifa teased, calling out in the direction of the door the woman had disappeared into, but Lightning did not reply.

_Where did she go off to in this huge house?_

The sound of a door opening made Tifa turn around, but she still did not see Lightning anywhere. She had a nervous tinge in the back of her mind. Could her family have come home early? However, she shook her head, trying to stay calm. That sounded too close by to be the front door. She thought to herself, turning around to face outside once more, getting closer to the edge of the balcony.

Suddenly, Tifa heard a soft melody coming from below. She shifted herself, looking down, her hair falling onto her shoulders and her tear-drop earrings making a small ringing noise as they moved. It was still faint, but She knew she could hear a melody coming from the yard. Looking down, she immediately noticed the pink-haired woman carrying a guitar. It was elegantly draped over one shoulder, her fingers placed precisely in certain areas as the other hand used fingers to stroke the strings in a precise manner, creating a clear and harmonious sound.

_Is she… doing this for me?_

Tifa blushed as Lightning looked up at her, and she waved with a sheepish hand, trying to hide the huge smile forming on her face. It couldn't be stopped, she felt like a giddy little school girl having a crush for the first time.

_She is really doing this for me..._

Lightning swallowed the lump in her throat, when Tifa waved at her. She couldn't remember why she thought this was a good idea, but whatever luck she had was on her side since the brunette seemed more than happy enough. Not to mention her fingers were playing automatically by themselves, having been accustomed to playing this melody everyday for the last week. All she needed to do now was sing, and she prayed to whatever god was listening for her not to fuck this up. And within a matter of seconds, her voice joined in with the melody she was playing on her guitar.

_How long, since I've written a letter?_  
><em>I got a rough draft in my pocket.<em>  
><em>Did ya know, the words never come out right,<em>  
><em>When you think too much, or you're up all night.<em>  
><em>Oh why? Oh why? Oh why?<em>

_Can't find the right words to say._  
><em>So many other writers have been trapped this way.<em>  
><em>I don't know how he could write, R&amp;J or Twelfth Night.<em>  
><em>But somebody must have amused him.<em>

_I don't mind writing down that I love you,_  
><em>But what can I say? I have lost my way.<em>  
><em>How do I find the words to express my feelings for you?<em>  
><em>I am lost without you. But I keep on writing on page 2.<em>

_With you, I feel so much better._  
><em>You warm me up with your kindness.<em>  
><em>I gotta know, I never want to let you down,<em>  
><em>You fill my heart with a brand new sound,<em>  
><em>Taking away all of my sadness.<em>

_My way is all that I thought about._  
><em>I never wanted changes, but it happened.<em>  
><em>And now I know with or without,<em>  
><em>You make me this way.<em>  
><em>I thank you for reading my letter.<em>

_I don't mind writing down that I love you,_  
><em>But what can I say? I have lost my way.<em>  
><em>How do I find the words to express my feelings for you?<em>  
><em>I am lost without you, I'm telling the truth, start something new,<em>  
><em>What can I do? Do you feel it too? Where do I go? No more ideas,<em>  
><em>Making this song, just writing on, run out of paper, broken my pencil,<em>  
><em>Just keep scribbling on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on<em>

Just as Lightning's face beat a bright red, so did Tifa's as she listened to the song intently. She grabbed onto the edge of the balcony, leaning forward a bit as her eyes were set ablaze in awe by the song Lightning was singing.

She was humming along beforehand, but as Lightning finished and looked right into her eyes, Tifa felt extremely sensitive. As though the huge gesture the young woman imparted on the brunette broke all walls and struck right at her heart. She was feeling like her skin was tingling, her heart beat racing a bit faster when the pinkette continued to stare at her from where she was standing.

By the time Lightning was done singing, her face had gone a bright red in color; partially to being embarrassed about doing something she had never done for anyone else, and also because Tifa was staring pretty intently at her by this point. Lightning fidgeted with her guitar and looked up at the brunette, trying to smile without it looking like she was dying on the inside. The pinkette wasn't sure what exactly to say, so she kind of stood there awkwardly waiting for Tifa to say or do something.

Coherency really wasn't applying to the brunette, she was still just so overwhelmed by it all. Putting it all into perspective, it really appeared as though it was love at first sight, everything moving quickly in a matter of two weeks, and she was letting it happen. Tifa was never one to get caught up in emotions without being logical about it, but suddenly she felt like she was in one of those cheesy romance novels, being serenaded on a balcony by someone she had just met, and really only knew for two days.

When one puts it into perspective yet again, it really does appear ridiculous that they held hands, kissed, and were so desperate to be together. None of it even made sense. But what Tifa wanted when she came to the islands was a change, somewhere she could be put out of her element, and she certainly was. The confident, dark haired beauty turned to mush, unable to even speak a word. She placed a hand in her skirt pocket, looking down at her feet and blushing, when she felt something inside the pocket she had completely forgotten about.

_A sea shell? Oh, I picked this up about a week ago. I just thought it had a pretty design, but when I showed Sho…_

* * *

><p>About a week ago, when Tifa was walking on edge of the shore, she had found the most peculiar shaped sea shell. It was shaped like a star, a white star with a tinge of yellow at the edges. She brought it in as she was filing some paper work at the school, and while talking to Sho she happened mention the strange sea shell to him.<p>

"Oh wow, that looks like a paopu fruit." Was the male teacher's reply. As Tifa questioned him further, he eventually explained the legend of the paopu fruit, and how on a little islet out in the ocean the fruit grew, and if two people shared it, their destinies would be intertwined. They would remain a part of each others lives, forever.

Tifa stared at the sea shell from a week ago, and then her gaze wandered back to Lightning, who nervously began fidgeting with the guitar even more than she had been a few moments before. The distance between the balcony and the ground was not that bad, so Tifa climbed onto the edge of the railing and sat down. She wasn't entirely sure what she was planning on doing, and Lightning looked up, a bit shocked that the brunette was on the edge.

It was meant to go a whole lot smoother in Tifa's mind. Actually, it was supposed to be really romantic, or at least something pertaining to that. But no. Tifa didn't know what she was doing, being a nervous woman swept up in an affair that was too ridiculous for words. She just blushed. And tossed the sea shell in Lightning's direction.

Which then preceded to hit the fair pink-haired woman in the eye.

Crazy things happen when you've fallen for someone.

The pinkette covered her eye with her left hand, trying to stave off the pain that was suddenly coursing through her face. _The fuck was that for?_

Lightning moved her hand a little, and wasn't too thrilled with what she saw on her hands. There was streaks of red dripping down part of her hand. Whatever Tifa had thrown at her, had drawn blood and a decent amount at that. Speaking of things being thrown… What had Tifa launched at her to begin with? Lightning looked down at the grass at her feet, and saw what seemed to be a shell? In the shape of a star no less…

The pinkette bent over to pick it up, and once it was secure in her hand; she dropped it in her pocket for the time being, and grabbed her guitar with her free had, since she had covered her bloody eye again. Light glanced up at Tifa who was still on the railing, and grumbled a tiny bit due to the pain. "…I'm going to get some ice…" With that said, she trudged over to the back door and went inside, though it took her a moment due to only having one free hand.

When she finally got inside, she carefully placed the guitar on the coffee table in the living room; and walked into the kitchen. The pinkette wasted no time in getting some ice in a bag, and sitting down at the kitchen table while holding it over her injured eye.

"…Well that went well." Lightning deadpanned.


	5. The Start Of Something Better

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_. Tifa silently cursed in her head, as she ran downstairs to the kitchen, where she found a disgruntled Lightning silently placing a bag of ice upon her eye.

That was injured.

Because Tifa threw something at her.

"Um…" She tried to say something, but Lightning didn't even look at her. "Oh god I'm so..." The brunette was almost babbling, but most of what she was saying was incoherent. Lightning kept staring at the guitar, and Tifa kept staring at Lightning.

They sat in silence for a good thirty seconds or so, but it could have been hours to Tifa. She couldn't believe she had assaulted her like that. What she did was so stupid, the brunette didn't even know how to explain herself.

"Lightning…" Tifa began, looking from the soldier, to the guitar again, and then back to the floor. Finally, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to the pink-haired woman, taking hold of the ice packet from the others delicate fingers. "… This is crushed ice. The sharp edges will only hurt your eye more." As she took away the ice packet, Lightning did not object, but didn't really respond to her either. She only looked at her. "Let me get you some new ice."

Tifa dumped the contents of the bag and got whole thing of new ice, placing them in a hand towel instead of a bag, as it would be softer and easier to handle on the eye. She was more than knowledgeable about injuries such as these, having to give out first aid on herself, and others who got into fights regularly when they were younger. She went back to sit next to Lightning, and gently placed the ice back on the eye.

"You should keep the ice on for five minutes, and then off for another five minutes." Tifa mentioned, really just trying to fill in the silence that the two were sharing. She sighed again, even more nervous than any other previous time that day.

The brunette tugged a piece of her hair behind her ear, biting her lip, before she took one more deep breath and found some sense of words, before speaking up once more. "I am so sorry about that. All I wanted was to just give you that sea shell, but then this happened." She paused for a second, before explaining further, staring into Lightning's good eye, attempting to discern whether or not Lightning was registering the apology.

"Someone told me that the sea shell resembled some fruit on the islands that symbolized a deep connection between two people. I thought that maybe it would be a good gift to give to you, after you gave me such a wonderful gift." Tifa frowned and glanced over at the guitar, beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck. The brunette really was just so ridiculously stupid for doing what she did.

Lightning listened quietly to Tifa, as she explained the meaning behind such a shell; and the reason why she thought it was a good idea to chuck it at her to begin with. She was curious however about the shell resembling some kind of fruit, so she used her free had to fish it out of her pocket. "So... Basically this shell looks like one of those uh..." The pinkette stares at Tifa, as if the answer was written on her face. "Paopu fruits? I think anyway... I don't know really."

She looked it over in her hands, examining all the fine details on it before gazing back up at Tifa. "In other words... You wanted to give this to me, as a way of saying you felt a deep connection between us?" Lightning asked in a quiet voice, as she looked over the shell again as if not quite believing the it; and at the same time still wondering how something this small could injure her so badly.

A quiet confirmation from Tifa, was all that she got as an answer. Lightning thought about the reasons why the brunette wanted her to have that shell. She had definitely put some thought into the gift, but obviously not her _aim_. The pinkette chuckled inwardly at that, before giving Tifa a serious look.

"Well... Seeing as how you went through all that trouble, to throw such a special seashell at me... Does that mean you're willing to be my girlfriend then, Tifa?" Lightning asked in a playful yet serious tone, hoping the answer she got would be a positive one, as she clenched the shell tight in her hand. Though she had been planning on asking the brunette the same question later on, with circumstances the way they were currently; it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

"Oh thank god," Tifa breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the question slip out of Lightning's mouth. "Of course I will. It's what I wanted all along. I'm just glad you aren't mad about… well this." Tifa giggled a little as she removed the ice from her eye, noticing that most of the bleeding had stopped.

Lightning couldn't help but beam a huge smile up at the brunette, and her eye no longer seemed to hurt as much. She was so happy that Tifa agreed to be her girlfriend, that the pain got completely pushed from her mind. "Don't worry about it Tifa... I believe you when you say you didn't mean for it to happen." The pinkette said, giving her new girlfriend a reassuring smile.

"Back in my day, one punch could make a cement wall go crashing down," She commented, lightly touching the eye, seeing if it stung or not. Lightning did not flinch, though she did admit it still hurt a little. "You'll be fine. It doesn't look as though any shards got into your eye. Though I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I just not try any more stunts like that for the night, hm?" Tifa got up from the chair and walked over to the guitar, sliding a hand into Lightning's slowly as the pink haired woman got up after her.

"It really was a beautiful song. Thank you so much Lightning, you remembered I had asked you to play for me." Tifa smiled, her fingertips lightly touching one of the strings, though not nearly enough force to make a sound come out of the instrument.

"I'm glad you liked the it. I will admit to being pretty damned nervous though, since I've never done that for anyone before..." She said, while rubbing her neck with her free hand. "I made it a point to remember everything that interested you, on the off chance I could do something for you to make you happy." Lightning was relieved to say the least, that she wouldn't have trouble making Tifa happy, since she seemed to be doing a good job as it were

"Let me make it up to you, about your eye. Anything you'd like at all, girlfriend?" Tifa turned slightly, and placed her other hand upon Lightning's face, cupping her cheek.

Light studied the brunette's face, and gave her a deadly serious face. "Now that you mention it... There is something I'd like." She pointed at her injured eye with one finger. "...Kiss it? Please?" She pleaded in a cute whimper, while her face softened and she smiled sheepishly at her girlfriend. "It's a weird request, I know... But my dad always did that when I was younger, and it always made me feel better."

Tifa smiled at the woman before her, and leaned in, putting a hand on Lightning's arm as support, before pressing her lips lightly upon Lightning's eyelid. There was a light purple color forming a rim around the eye, like eye shadow, but she knew this would die down quickly. By tomorrow, evidence of this embarrassing incident wouldn't even exist, save for the lovely shell given to Lightning. She then parted from the eye, smiling.

"Maybe you'd like to lay down and rest? You've had a long day." Tifa asked, while smiling warmly at her girlfriend. "Right now that sounds amazing. It's been a long day full of dying from nervousness and worry, to being decked with a shell by my girlfriend." Lightning said that last part in a teasing way, making sure Tifa knew that everything about it was forgiven and okay.

The brunette rolled her eyes at being teased, and playfully poked at Lightning's shoulder. "Perhaps we could share the couch for a moment? I'll let you rest your head on my lap if you want." Tifa offered, slowly making her way to the living room as she recalled where exactly the couch was_. This house is so big. I'll have to go wandering about sometime_. Her thoughts wandered, as she waited for Lightning to reply. "And I promise, while you're sleeping I won't attack you. I think you've had enough assaults for one day." The brunette chuckled, pushing her hair back behind her ears.

The sunlight from one of the windows reflected upon her tear drop earrings, and as Tifa eventually found the couch; she chose to remove the earrings, so as to get more comfortable. She took the delicate earrings and placed them on the stand nearby, then turned around to wait for Lightning to follow.

Lightning watched Tifa disappear into the living room, and after placing the now wet towel into the sink; quickly followed after the brunette intent on answering that question. "The couch is fine Tifa. It's more than big enough, plus I wouldn't mind being able to rest on your lap." The pinkette waited until Tifa had gotten comfortable on the sofa, before she laid down on the cushions, and rested her head on the brunette's lap. Lightning closed her eyes as she got settled in, and sighed contently.

They stayed like that for awhile, before the pinkette had a thought and looked up at Tifa from the corner of her eyes. "Hey... Can I ask you something?" Lightning asked in a curious voice, as she shifted on the sofa so that she could see her girlfriend's entire face.

"Why yes," Tifa said as she leaned her head back, her hair falling on the back of the couch. She had her eyes closed and a serene look about her smile, though upon the sides it looked as though it was turning into a mischievous grin. "My breasts are _real_."

As Lightning lifted her head up to give Tifa a questionable look, the young brunette broke out into laughter. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Some kids in my class a few days ago blatantly asked me that. I threw chalk in their faces, and told them to take extra notes on chapter 2." She explained a bit, and put her arms behind her head.

"But go ahead and ask me anything, Lightning. There isn't much I hide about myself these days." She chuckled and looked down, opening an eye. "At least, with you there isn't."

"Well, I wasn't really going to ask you something about yourself... Though I could probably think of some things for later if you so wished." Lightning said, while pushing herself out of Tifa's lap and sitting up on the sofa, if only for a few moments. The pinkette moved Tifa over forward a bit, and then laid back down on the sofa only this time behind the brunette with her head resting on the couch's arm. Lightning looked up at her girlfriend and smiled sheepishly.

"I was wondering if we could... Y'know.. Maybe snuggle a little here on the couch? You don't have to if you don't wanna, I just thought it would be nice... Not to mention I'm in a very rare cuddly mood at the moment." She smiled warmly up at Tifa, and made a grabby hand gesture at her to prove her point on the matter.

Tifa stared at Lightning, an eyebrow raised in question. The couch was certainly big enough for them to cuddle, though she had to admit that Lightning appeared nervous when trying to approach her still. She knew that Tifa was much more of a touchy feely person than she was used to, perhaps she was trying to accommodate to her needs once again? The pink-haired woman was much calmer than early today, however, and Tifa decided if not now, then when would she have a chance to hold the woman again?

"Well. You should know I'm always up for human contact. Especially in the sense of snuggling." The brunette commented, leaning more towards Lightning and grabbing hold of her waist.

They soon laid down vertically on the couch, and snuggled their bodies up against each other. Lightning was very warm, and her hair tickled Tifa's face as it brushed against her cheeks. They ended up chatting for a bit, talking about the weeks that passed and the students at school. Alone in the house, with not much noise except for the sound of the breeze outside, the sun was setting on the day and night quickly approached. The two quickly fell into a deep sleep as the chatter died down, dreams and reality soon switching places in their minds. They had forgotten to close any of the shades, and as Tifa was drifting in and out of sleep, she noticed the stars outside the window nearby the couch.

She turned over to go back to sleep, her bangs falling upon her eyes in a different direction than where she usually parts her hair. But as she went to grab hold of Lightning's waist again, she felt an unusual stirring from the other woman.


	6. Lingering Shadows

**Author's Notes**: Finally got around to getting this last chapter up, and a big apology to all of you who've been waiting patiently. Also, if you get confused as to why she has that scar, not to mention the nightmare, I'd recommend reading the story 'Nightmare' for better insight. Though, it will be explained much better in the next story as well.

Anyway, hopefully this is a decent end to this fic~

* * *

><p>It had only been a few hours since Lightning had fallen asleep, and already she was being plagued with a nightmare. Her body was twitching rather bad, not to mention sweating up a storm from overheating. This went on for a decent amount of time before her nightmare hit it's climax, to which she shot up on the couch and let out a scream that echoed throughout her house. Lightning's body shook violently, and she brought up her arms to drop her head into her palms.<p>

As she tried to catch her breath, her azure hued eyes darted around the room as if expecting something nasty to appear and attack her with no warning. Everything was blurred and when she happened to look down where Tifa had been snuggled against her, she freaked out because what her eyes showed her wasn't her girlfriend. Lightning literally tried backing away from the shadowy serpent thing that had taken the brunette's place, and when she tried to roll off the sofa to get away... The pinkette smashed right into the coffee table, hitting her shoulder at a nasty angle; which caused her to grit her teeth and cuss up a storm under her breath. Tifa's eyes were still getting adjusted at the time, when Lightning had shot up from the couch, rolling off it and hurting herself rather badly. As Tifa looked upon her hands, she noticed beads of sweat everywhere, realizing that Lightning had been sweating the entire time she was asleep.

"God fucking dammit!" Lightning growled, but didn't even try moving after that. The whole room seemed to be spinning in one giant blur, and the throbbing pain in her shoulder wasn't helping either. She was slightly aware of something moving around her, but with all the haziness she couldn't tell what it was. And then she heard a voice that sounded like it was full of concern, but why? The next thing she knew, something had flipped her over and she was now staring into a face. A very familiar face. Lightning had to wait mere moments before some of the haziness cleared up, and she found herself staring directly at Tifa; who looked more than terrified at what had happened.

The brunette had waited until Lightning calmed down enough for her to touch her, rubbing her back and whispering to her in a soothing tone. "Shh… It's alright, it's okay. I'm right here..." However, as Tifa rubbed her back, she could feel a slight edging through the fabric of Lightning's shirt. She paused a moment, wondering what that could possibly be, but shook the thought immediately, believing this not to be the time or place to be thinking about such things. Lightning's eyes were ablaze in a fit of rage, but eventually calmed down in a quiet glazed over stare. It appeared she was waking up from her horror.

"Lightning? Can you hear me? Are you ok?"

Lightning blinked several times, in attempt to get rid of all the haziness, but also to see if she was really seeing the real Tifa. Seconds passed, and when the brunette's face didn't disappear she started to calm down more.

"...Tifa?"

Her voice was tinged with pain, and an undertone of sadness that one would not expect after having witnessed a nightmare such as hers. It was evident on her face, however, that she was still in a lot more pain, even without having smashed her shoulder backwards on the coffee table. She shifted around on the floor, before finally managing to push herself up slowly with her good arm. The pinkette sat up straight, but couldn't help feeling rather embarrassed that Tifa had witnessed one of her nightmare attacks. And worse, wondered if the brunette thought any less of her, because she hadn't brought her weird condition up.

She was then suddenly aware of the other woman's red eyes staring her down, but she couldn't match the brunette's gaze and chose instead to stare at the floor. Lightning didn't know what to say, or even do for that matter, not that she really could if she wanted given the state she was in. But part of her was mentally freaking out now. What if Tifa didn't want anything to do with her after this? Or if she thought she was messed up completely, and never spoke to her again? All those horrible thoughts kept attacking her, while she sat there trying to remain calm and now agitate her injured arm and shoulder.

It wasn't working out that well though. I jolt of pain coursed through her scar, and through her throbbing shoulder, making her grit her teeth angrily at the pain. Once it subsided for the most part, she looked up at Tifa from the corners of her eyes.

"...I'm sorry... I didn't think this would happen." She mumbled quietly, while gently applying pressure to certain parts of her arms to numb the pain a little. "...I'll understand if you really don't want to deal with this, Tifa. It isn't really _normal_." Lightning finished in a low voice, as her body tensed up, as if awaiting the rejection she was expecting. Who was she kidding anyway? There was no way anyone would want to deal with this mess every other night, nor date someone who couldn't even sleep like a normal person half the time.

Tifa stared silently as she groggily came to her own senses, finally taking a few seconds to look over the situation. She sighed, shaking her head as she listened to Lightning speak. She certainly wasn't expecting the nightmare, but she also wasn't expecting the pink-haired woman to say what she was saying.

_If I don't want to deal with this_?

"Really, I suppose I just don't know what goes through your head… At least, not yet." Tifa reached over to the pinkette who was facing the opposite direction. She wrapped her arm around her neck, pulling her into a light embrace. "Please get back on the couch now."

Lightning appeared shocked, but listened none the less as she slowly got up onto the couch side by side with the brunette. Tifa got up and placed the back of her hand on the young woman's forehead. "You're burning up. Lay down please, I'll go get something for you." She pushed Lightning gently down, so that she may lay vertically on the couch.

Tifa then got up to go to the kitchen, as the wounded ex-soldier watched her head off. She couldn't help but feel utterly baffled. Why was she being so nice about it? Didn't the nightmare bug her, like it did the other people who found out this way? Her ears picked up the faint sound of running water a minute later, and then the next thing she knew Tifa had come back with what appeared to be a cold rag, medicine, and a glass of milk.

She tried to speak up again, but the brunette just shushed her. "Shush, just close your eyes and try to relax." Tifa sat down on the sofa once more, placing the advil and milk onto the coffee table, and afterwards slowly draped the damp hand towel over Lightning's forehead. "I got some medicine and milk for you. I know whenever I scream that much, I get a nasty headache. Though that's usually from yelling at students.." Tifa chuckled quietly, stroking Lightning's hair.

The pinkette's aqua colored eyes swirled with unspoken confusion, as her girlfriend willingly offered her words of comfort and was doing everything she could to make her comfortable once again. This was almost too much for her to bear. Where was the rejection? She could have sworn that was how thing always ended up... And yet Tifa was still here, not even appearing as if she planned on leaving her side anytime soon.

Slender fingers combed through that cotton candy pink hair, eventually slowly working their way down to Lightning's own hands. However, they were freezing, which caught Tifa by surprise. "Oh gosh, your hands are so cold!" The brunette took both hands into her own and began to rub them, warming them up with each stroke.

"Now, what nonsense were you talking about? Something silly about me _not dealing with this_?"

The pinkette gave her the other woman a curious look, after she started rubbing her hands together to warm them up. Which was appreciated nonetheless, since she couldn't even feel her hands to begin with. But when Tifa spoke up and asked what she had been talking about, she could only shake her head and look away from her. That's when she noticed the advil and glass of milk on the table, after having forgotten they were there. "...Can I get the advil please, Tifa..?"

The brunette smiled warmly at her, and picked them off the coffee table, handing them over to her.

Lightning nodded a polite '_thank you_' to the brunette, then popped 2 advil into her mouth and washed them down with a few chugs of the milk. She highly doubted the meds would do much of anything to help the pain in her back, but hopefully they could stem the searing pain in her messed up shoulder.

The pinkette handed the glass back to Tifa, and watched her put it down gently on the table before focusing all her attention back on her. Lightning shifted uneasily against the couch, but made no move to ignore the woman's gaze. She wanted an answer to her question still.

"...Well... I mean... I figured you probably wouldn't want to deal with this nightmare crap... That you would just up and leave, like all the people before." Lightning stared down at the floor, and sighed. "This nightmare business happens pretty much every other night, and I've yet to get adequate help for it. None of the doctors I've seen could figure out what was wrong until recently... And even then my options were limited on how to deal with this."

By this point her cheeks were wet, from the tears that had been stinging her eyes. She felt very vulnerable right now, and was really just afraid for the worst. She didn't know what she would do if Tifa left her, just like everyone else had.

Tifa stared at the poor woman who's head was down and tears dripped onto the couch, the fabric absorbing the liquid quickly and growing a deeper color. The brunette brushed her hair to the side, inching in closer to Lightning but unsure as to what to say. This was clearly a difficult situation, but she knew that if she said nothing, Light would assume it meant she was agreeing with her. And that certainly was _not_ what she was doing.

"Light," She began, taking her thumb and forefinger and holding the pink-haired woman's face up so they could speak eye to eye. "If you think you can get rid of me so easily, you are clearly just not giving me much credit. Not the credit I deserve anyway, that's for sure." She smiled, giving small kisses to the young woman's cheeks, so as to clean off the tears.

Lightning looked on in shock, as Tifa pulled away to speak to her in a much more comfortable position, now that the pinkette stopped crying. "It's not a matter of if I can _deal_ with it," She smiled, brushing some of the pink hair to the side of the woman's face.

"It's a matter of if what is at the end of all the hardship and obstacles, is something worth fighting for." Tifa put her hands upon Light's. They were much warmer now.

"And I believe there is a reason to try. We may have just only begun, but the only thing worse than giving up, is giving up without really know what might have happened had we only tried."

"...Tifa..."

Lightning could only stare at her girlfriend... Her amazing, wonderful girlfriend who wasn't planning on leaving her for anything. The pinkette pushed herself up with her uninjured arm, and smiled at her, ignoring the fact that the damp towel had fallen off her forehead in the process.

The pinkette had no words to describe how happy and relieved she truly felt. She reached her hand up and gingerly placed it on the brunette's cheek, gliding her thumb over the soft skin of her cheek and stared into her eyes. "I wouldn't dream of getting rid of you, Tifa... I care about you too much, for me to do that." And to prove her point, Lightning leaned closer and pressed her lips against the brunette's, in a passionate kiss. For those few minutes, Tifa almost didn't even reciprocate the lovely kiss, she was too caught by surprise. However, just as she was certain that Lightning was caught up in the moment, so too was the brunette, and she smoothly threw her arms over her neck, wrapping her hands into the pink hair. It was thin and soft strands, of which Tifa clenched into her grasp as the kiss deepened. Lips upon lips, they eventually parted, happily staring at each other/

Lightning's face flushed slightly at the sight of expression that Tifa now wore, considering that kiss had been the only deep one since 2 weeks prior. Though this time she wasn't afraid of any unseen consequences. Light smiled at her girlfriend, before turning to the aching of her shoulder.

She ran her hand over the spot where the table's edge had collided with her shoulder. There was a major sore spot near the joint, which sent a sharp pain through her arm when she barely touched it. Light expertly popped her shoulder back into place, and sighed when the pain eased up enough for her to move her arm a little.

The pinkette then looked back at Tifa, with an expression that showed she was deep in thought. It didn't last however, and she soon smirked playfully at the other woman. Before the brunette could ask what Light was thinking, she had gently pushed Tifa back down on the couch; and laid down next to her, not really caring about being in pain anymore. She cuddled up into her girlfriend's side, and nuzzled her head up under Tifa's with a content sigh.

Tifa glanced over Lightning's back, remembering what she felt when she touched it and noticed a strange… Engraving? The thought lingered but soon disappeared as Lightning seemed to drift off to sleep, putting the entire affair behind her as she sought the warmth her girlfriend provided.

"..Goodnight, Light." A kiss was placed on the pinkette's forehead, right before Tifa slipped into her own slumber alongside her.

It had been much later than they thought, however. Pitch black was soon pierced by the morning sun, and Tifa awoke once again to a sleeping Lightning laying on her chest. The woman was smiling as she slept, and Tifa quietly stroked her hair as she looked over to check the time. It was still fairly early.

_I'll make her breakfast in a bit. Let's just stay like this a little longer..._


End file.
